homogeneous NYC: January 2012

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Hide/Seek - Brooklyn Museum

Hide/Seek=Wow! I finally got over to the Brooklyn Museum, a space that I had never been to before and was quite impressed with, to see the new queer exhibition, Hide/Seek—the first ever portraiture show to focus on themes of gender and sexuality. The show, which first debuted at the National Portrait Gallery, charts sexual identity, pride, shame and celebration through over one hundred works from modern queer artists. Paintings, photographs, film and art instillations combine to show how our desires shape us, forcing us to either hide our true selves or seek acceptance. What I personally took away was a shocking reminder that although I am lucky enough to have grown-up in a pseudo-accepting society I will always be a member of the outside. I will never be able to fully express my desires or my sexual identity under the accepted umbrella of modern culture. On one hand I celebrate that fact as I am honored to be in the company of these fellow outcasts, fighting to express the same internal yearnings and struggles they felt, on the other hand it's mind-blowing how little society's view of queer sexual identity has changed over the past 100+ years.

Highlights (there are quite a few):